Ameagari
by Kitajima
Summary: A K&K fic about how the two finally break the ice.


This is my first attempt in writing a fan fiction. I love anime, but writing a fanfic out of it never crossed my mind until I came across Rurouni Kenshin and became 'attached' with the cool couple.   
  
I wouldn't be able to do this if not for the encouragement and big help from a good friend of mine: Makyra. She's just the greatest and I really owe her big time in this one.  
  
The time line for this fiction is somewhere after the battle with Enishi, but before the funky couple got married. Everybody has already left (Sano, Megumi, Aoshi and Misao), leaving Yahiko, Kaoru and Kenshin in Tokyo.   
  
Again, this is my very first fan fiction, so, gomen nasai, if it's far from 'great'. Feedbacks are greatly welcome! Enjoy..  
  
Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.  
  
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Ameagari (After The Rain)  
  
  
  
*I've never seen a field like this before. The sky..It's just too blue. This place is like in another world! Gosh, I've been walking for so long. Why is nobody here? But...Wait... I see a shadow coming towards me. Who could that be? He looks just like...*  
  
"Father?"  
  
Standing right in front of Kaoru was her father. As she reached out to him, he turned away to leave. She shouted for him not to leave her. She ran but she never moved a spot. She felt hopeless and tired. Tears started to stream down her cheek. She felt as though she might faint as she saw her father look back at her and smile. Then, he was gone. Her eyes widened as she shouted,  
  
"Father!!!!!!"  
  
Kaoru awoke to find herself in her room, her breath heavy and labored.  
Sweat covered her face. It was almost dawn. Everyone was still asleep.  
  
  
* * * * * *  
  
  
"Hey ugly! Wake up! Are you gonna train me or not?!" yelled Yahiko in front of Kaoru's room.  
  
Kenshin was already doing the laundry when he told Yahiko to let her be since he thought she would be tired. The night before they had stayed at the Akabeko until very late. Yahiko ignored him and on knocked her door wildly, yelling that he needed to practice early since he promised Tsubame-chan that he would fix the roof at the Akabeko.  
  
No answer.  
  
Kenshin stopped what he was doing and looked at Kaoru's room. Yahiko opened the door after he warned Kaoru that he was about to go inside. After 4 seconds he came back out.  
  
"Kenshin! Kaoru's gone already. Where could she have gone this early?"  
  
Kenshin's eyebrow went up as he said, "Oro?"  
  
  
*********  
  
  
Kaoru stood by the riverside at the same spot where those special moments had happened; the night when Kenshin left for Kyoto and the day when he returned, saying "tadaima." She smiled at the thought and continued her walk.  
  
When she was about to cross the bridge that led her to town, she looked down at the river bend and thought that there must be the spot where Kenshin usually sat down to fish. Crossing the bridge also brought back another memory; the day when they met Yahiko.  
  
"He will be such a great swordsman," she thought, "He's got so much potential. I wonder if the brat knows how much I care about him?"  
  
As she kept walking, she looked up to the sky and thought about how beautiful the morning was.   
  
She walked through the town and through the fields, finally stopping in front of a grave; her father's. She knelt down in front of it.  
  
"Father," she began, "Oh, how I've missed you. Demo... why do you seem to turn away from me in my dream?" She leaned forward to touch the gravestone.  
  
"There are so many things I want to tell you. A lot has happened at the dojo since you've been gone. But I'm not alone anymore. I have so many friends." She poured water from the bucket beside her on the grave.  
  
"And most importantly, I've changed. There is a man who has made me what I am now. You see father, this man...His name is Kenshin... I have him now. I wish you were here so you can meet him. He's so special to me and..."  
  
"Wait a minute," she thought. She didn't HAVE Kenshin. He wasn't hers!  
  
"Just because he said that the dojo is like a home to him, that doesn't mean he's mine." At that minute, she knew that she wanted MORE.  
  
A sense of guilt came over her. She felt ashamed for being selfish and possessive. How could she ask for more from a man who's already given so much to her?  
  
*I shouldn't be thinking like that. I should stop wanting more. It's already a blessing that he's willing to stay with me anyway.*  
  
The graveyard looked so empty, somehow reflecting her own feelings.  
  
  
***********  
  
  
"Yahiko, I'm going to look for Kaoru-dono."  
  
When Yahiko said to let him search for her, Kenshin told him to just wait in the dojo and that he needed to go to town anyway to get some groceries.  
  
As he was walking, he began to let his mind wander. He'd been so happy lately. He couldn't believe that it had been 3 weeks already since his last fight. Never in his life had he felt so peaceful. Yet somehow it gave him an odd feeling. He couldn't believe that God had given him a chance for a quiet life again. He hadn't drawn his sakabatou since...  
  
*Enishi.*  
  
A chill ran down his spine. Remembering Enishi reminded him of that dreadful sight... Kaoru's death...the scars on her face... He could clearly hear himself calling out her name,  
  
"Kaoru-dono!! Kaoru-dono!! Kaoru..."  
  
He shook his head. "No, don't let it get into you. It's all over. She's alright now."  
  
He walked down the bridge when he saw a couple leaning to the rail. The girl pointed her finger down to the river bend, telling the young man that fireflies were seen a lot on that side of the river during the summer.   
  
A smile found itself on Kenshin's lips.  
  
*No, that's not the best place to view the fireflies. I know the right spot.* Who would believe an ex-hitokiri like him would know that kind of stuff?  
  
*How could I ever forget? That night we were surrounded by fireflies. I can still feel her warmth. She looked so beautiful it was impossible not to hug her...*  
  
His smile slowly faded, giving way to a slight frown.  
  
*I'm thinking about her again! What's wrong with me? I have loved before, but this time it feels...different...It feels...,* He closed his eyes, *..stronger.*  
  
The wind softly caressed his bangs as he realized, "As usual, it seems there's nothing I could do to get her out of my mind.."   
  
  
*************  
  
  
At the dojo, Yahiko sat on the front porch.  
  
"This sucks," he said to himself, "What is taking them so long? I won't make it on time to help Tsubame fix the roof!"  
  
He stood up.  
  
"Kuso! I might as well go now and leave a note that I'm at the Akabeko.  
So much for breakfast and training!"  
  
  
************  
  
  
Kenshin had followed a path that led to a graveyard. Tae-dono had told him where Kaoru might be, but he couldn't see Kaoru anywhere. He began to worry.  
  
*Where could she be?* Not knowing where she was sent a slight shiver through his body.  
  
*Perhaps she met with Megumi-dono? Demo... she's in Aizu. Kaoru wouldn't have left without telling me or Yahiko.*  
  
He heard a thunderstorm gathering on the horizon.  
  
*Is she all right? Why didn't she tell me where she'd go? Is it that important that she would just take off without leaving a note or something? If something bad has happened to her...*  
  
A roll of thunder ripped through the darkening sky.  
  
*Why am I burdened by this great worry for her all of a sudden? Why today?*  
  
He closed his eyes, *No, not only today. It has been like this all along, ever since I met her in that alley, my life has changed...*  
  
A stream of memories passed through his mind...  
  
...when she punches him with a shout if "Kenshin no baka!"...  
  
*She's my laughter...*  
  
...when he found Kaoru's doll lying in the dojo, Enishi's katana thrust  
through her chest...  
  
*She's my tears...*  
  
Kenshin began to walk again, *She's the reason I live.*  
  
Flashbacks of his life played out before him...  
  
He was a child named Shinta. He saw the two sisters who had taken care of him killed before his eyes. He saw Hiko help him and give him the name Kenshin. He saw his training at the mountain, the time he left his  
shishou, his battles for the Ishinshishi, his fight with Saitoh, the time Kiyosato gave him the first scar on his cheek, the smell of white plum under rain of blood. He saw Tomoe.  
  
He remembered the pain when she left the second scar and his ten years of wandering. Then...  
  
"Chotto matte!! Hitokiri Battousai!!"  
  
That voice had stopped him. The voice was full of spirit and courage. It was a blind courage if one must say, for she didn't know she pointed her bokken at a man who was most feared by all samurais; a man who was known as the Hitokiri Battousai.  
  
He had grown weary of wandering when he saw her face. During his journey, he had met a lot of women whom he'd saved from the villains. Sometimes he could sense that there was something behind the way they stared at him. Their eyes spoke something more than just a mere admiration. Yet, they couldn't move his heart, ever, in his years of wandering.  
  
But when his eyes first laid on Kaoru, he knew that he had met one special girl. Nevertheless, he never realized that she would be the reason for him to live. To love.  
  
How can it be that a 17 year-old girl knew the answer to what he had been looking for so long?  
  
"A sword is a mean to protect people."  
  
He remembered the first time he knew fear, when Jin-Eh took her. It was a fear so great that he was willing to kill again so long as she was safe.  
  
He realized the first time he wanted to live. It was when he had walked the line between life and death fighting Shishio. He couldn't bear the thought of not being able to be with Kaoru again. He knew he HAD to live.  
  
He realized he was like Kiyosato. He understood now, how this man with no significant fighting skills was able to give him, the Hitokiri Battousai, the first scar on his left cheek. Kiyosato refused to die because of love, just like him.  
  
He realized the first time he wanted to die. It was when he saw Kaoru's dead body.  
  
*But...does sessha deserve her?*  
  
Kenshin's steps became wider and faster. Walking then became running.  
There was something in his eyes, as if he had found something...  
  
An answer.  
  
He ran as fast as he could.  
  
It started to rain.  
  
  
***************  
  
  
Kaoru stood in a long alley downtown.  
  
"I found him here that day. This is where I saw him for the first time. Demo... why am I here now?" she sighed.  
  
"Baka!" she admonished herself, "you know the answer. Why do you have to deny it?"  
  
The day she met him, loneliness had left her. The man with a cross scar on his cheek had changed her life. After her father died, it was as if her home had been taken away from her. However, she found her home again on the day Kenshin arrived in her life.  
  
"And so here I am," Kaoru thought, "It started here."  
  
Rain started to fall, sending people to scurry about in search of shelter, but Kaoru did not seem to be aware of what was happening around her. She had receded into her thoughts.  
  
*I understand now what my father's trying to tell me. He's turning away because he knows I'm safe and happy, now that Kenshin is looking after me. That's why there was a smile on his face.*  
  
A crash of thunder shook her from her thoughts.  
  
"Mou! I'm all soaking wet now! And this was a new kimono!"  
  
As she turned around she saw a shadow coming towards her. She narrowed her eyes, the raindrops were so thick that it was hard to see.  
  
"It's very dangerous," she thought, "running like that in such rain!"  
  
Her eyes widened, *Matte! That looks like...*  
  
"K..Ken..shin?"  
  
"Kaoru-dono."  
  
He was only a short distance from her, slowly coming closer. His face, his red hair and his hakama were soaked. They didn't say anything for few seconds yet, time seemed to stand still and the raindrops seemed to pour in a slow motion.  
  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
  
At the Akabeko, Tae was having her usual 'Kenshin-Kaoru' conversation with Tsubame when Yahiko arrived. They told Yahiko that Kenshin had stopped by looking for Kaoru.  
  
"Is something wrong Yahiko?"  
  
"I don't know, but Kaoru took off early this morning. Who knows what busu is thinking!"   
  
Yahiko also told them not to worry and he assured them by the time he went back to the dojo, he would find them already there.  
  
"So," Yahiko said, "Where are the tools? Lemme fix that roof now."  
  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
  
"Wh..what are you doing here, Kenshin?" She could feel her heartbeat in her chest as her face took on a puzzled expression when her eyes met his. She never had seen him like that before. He didn't smile!  
  
"Great, I really screwed it up big now! He's definitely mad at me!" she thought.  
  
Kenshin didn't answer her. He looked at her still without blinking, making Kaoru more uneasy.  
  
"Gomen nasai! I thought I would only be gone for a while, that's why I didn't bother to let you guys know where I was going. Oh no, yes, ano.., the breakfast, Yahiko must be starved!" she blabbered as her hands went up and down.  
  
"I was going to come back just before breakfast, but..." Kaoru kept blabbering, "...it's just a beautiful day,' " she stopped abruptly, remembering the pouring rain.  
  
"Ano... I mean, previously, it was beautiful..." She could feel her face flush from embarrassment. She had shut her mouth and was staring at the ground.  
  
"I sound so ridiculous!" she thought, "And why are we standing in the rain like this? This is silly!"  
  
The rain kept pouring.  
  
"Kaoru-dono"  
  
"H-hai?"  
  
"Do you know what happened here, in this place exactly, a year ago?'  
  
She froze. She turned her head up, her eyes met his. Strangely, she didn't feel nervous anymore. She was surprised to find not a single crack in her voice as she spoke,  
  
"I found you here, a year ago."  
  
"Yes, Kaoru-dono. That day, for the first time, I felt exhausted of wandering," he continued, "I never thought there would be somebody who would accept me, with all my past."  
  
The rain had started to slow down.  
  
"You have given me so much happiness since that day. I don't deserve it, but you give it to me anyway."  
  
"Kenshin.."  
  
"You have found me, and I thank you for that. Demo..." he paused.  
  
*Demo?!* Kaoru started to tremble.   
  
"What is this??" she thought. "It can't happen this way! Was I wrong all along? Does he have second thoughts? Is he thinking about wandering again?"   
  
She found it hard to breath now, as if something constricted her throat. Her vision began to blur, her eyes filled with tears. Then she heard his voice.  
  
"Demo...that was then, Kaoru-dono. It's different now."  
  
Kaoru felt her legs grow weaker.   
  
*Have I misunderstood his kindness? That's why the face.. That's why he's not smiling.. He knew that his decision to leave would tear me apart.. It's what I feared most..*  
  
Kaoru's lips began to tremble, and being cold under the rain was just a small part that caused it. "I know he wanted to protect everyone, but I thought, at least, I was special.. I thought I was different.."  
  
Kenshin walked closer to her as he said, "I can't remember this place the way you do now, Kaoru-dono. Not anymore. Datte..."  
  
Although slowing down, the touch of raindrops felt like thousands of knives tearing her body. *It's so cold...I can't breath...Kamo-sama, please...give me strength...If he wanted to leave..*   
  
She turned her head down and closed her eyes, afraid that Kenshin would see the tears that were about to stream down her face. But then, something warm touched her chin and lifted it up. When she opened her eyes, she found their faces so close to each other.  
  
His warm eyes looked deep into hers. She looked totally confused.  
  
"Datte, as of today, for me, this is not the place where you found me. It is where I have found you."  
  
"Ah?" Kaoru's eyes widened.  
  
"This is the place where I have found you, Kaoru-dono," he smiled.  
  
"Ken..shin?" Her legs were too weak to support her weight. When she thought she was about to fall, Kenshin's hands were already there to catch her.  
  
He hugged her tightly, yet tenderly as she cried into his chest. He caressed her hair, whispering softly into her ear, "Aishiteru."  
  
When she heard those words, Kaoru tightened her grip on Kenshin's back, assuring herself that this was not a dream.   
  
"Gomen for making you wait for so long, but it's gonna be different now, Kaoru-dono.   
  
He loosened his embrace, his hands still holding her arms. His eyes locked hers.  
  
"I don't have much to offer you. But I know that I'll protect you always, until the day I die."  
  
They stared into each other's eyes for a long time. No words came out from their lips but it seemed that conversation was the last thing they needed at the moment.  
  
Kenshin smiled and Kaoru responded with a smile of her own as he wiped away the tears from her cheek with his calloused fingers.  
  
He looked up to the sky. "The rain has stopped now. We should go now and get dried off. Yahiko might be waiting for us.." Suddenly his eyes widened.  
  
"Oro! I told Yahiko.."  
  
"Doushita, Kenshin?"  
  
"The groceries.." Kenshin made a small chuckle.  
  
"Huh? What groceries?"  
  
"Betsuni, Kaoru-dono. Betsuni." smiled Kenshin.  
  
His warm eyes seeking Kaoru's. His sight then fell down to her lips.   
  
"Your lips are turning blue.. Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono, I think we'll catch a cold for sure."  
  
He gently touched her lips with his fingers, only then to be caught by Kaoru's hand. "I don't mind," she softly murmured with twinkles in her eyes, "It's worth it."  
  
Kenshin smiled and before they began to walk hand in hand, he said, "Lets go home. We will have a lot of things to talk about."  
  
A rainbow was seen coloring the Tokyo sky. Though it was usual to see one after the rain, that day, somehow it seemed bigger and brighter.  
  
  
--- Owari ---  
  
  
Author's note:  
I wrote this fan fic with the thought," If they were married, somebody has had taken the initiative somewhere, somehow." We all know the chemistry has always been there between the two, nevertheless, they never seem to have the right time for romance and stuff and all of a sudden, tadaa, there's Kenji! So, this fic I wrote could be described as a 'starting point' where they would finally think about tying the knot.   
  
It's pretty funny to think about how I started to write this fic. I was giving a friend of mine some ideas and feedback for her K&K fic, and as I was writing them, I got carried away and before I knew it, I've made a rough 10 pages of KnK story! And at the end, she was the one who gave me the ideas and feedback, right Makyra? ^_^  
  
So, there you go, hope you enjoyed it. It would be great if you can give me any feedback or review.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
tadaima:I'm home  
demo:but  
sakabatou: reverse-edge sword  
baka:stupid; idiot  
chotto matte:wait a minute  
sessha:I ; this unworthy one  
gomen nasai: sorry  
datte:because  
Kamo-sama:God  
aishiteru:I love you  
doushita:what's wrong?  
betsuni :nothing; nothing really  
  
  
*************************************  



End file.
